Welcome to Digital Olfaction Society

…To create devices which can Capture odors, turn them into Digital data so as to Transmit them every where in the world…

Since 2010, the DOS Committee has decided to highlight a topic of the future in connection with our most primitive sense: olfaction. Being the actuation of the sense of smell, olfaction has a wide potential of study because of its multidisciplinary aspects. The 1st international congress: Olfaction & Issues: modulation of physiological responses held in Paris on 4-5 November 2010 met a huge success; we showed that olfaction, a full-fledged science, involves the respiratory, intestinal or cerebral system in an emotional or unconscious framework.

At the end of the conference, congress chairman, Dr Marvin Edeas, concluded: “Ladies and Gentlemen, Olfaction & Issues 2010 world Congress was a great moment, and I told you at the beginning of the conference …Olfaction “the Forgotten Sense” must be investigated in-depth to enhance human health, particularly our well-being…Today at the end of the conference we can say that we need to move toward a New and promising science: the Digital Olfaction Science”.


Why a society about digital olfaction?

Olfaction, a topic of interest in several scientific fields, has gradually become a topic of the future. Following the latest advances in the research related to olfaction, the challenge is to transfer this knowledge towards innovative technology.

Nowadays, there is no way to escape the digital world whatsoever when using a computer, a mobile phone or even a means of transportation. Hearing, vision, and touch is currently an integral part of numerous electronic devices which we use on a daily basis. Then, how about digitizing smells? This complex concept aims at turning any odorous source into digital media which can be applied to our lifestyle.The idea is to create devices which can capture odors, turn them into digital data so as to transmit them everywhere in the world.

In order to bring together all scientific data related to digital olfaction, we decided to create an international organization, the Digital Olfaction Society (DOS), to gather, exchange and clarify the breakthroughs and prospects of leading-edge technologies related to olfaction.

DOS association was born from conclusions made during the Olfaction & Issues 2010 Congress; it paves the way toward a different world in order to understand the complexity of Research & Development in digital smell technologies. Our aim is to move from the Stone Age of odorous substance toward a New Age by means of digital fragrance, aroma and smell technologies. Hence, the following course of action:

Our first challenge is to update existing olfactory Research & Development. We will highlight the interdisciplinary sciences connected to the digital smell world and its related topics including:

Chemistry, Biochemistry and its impact on Neuroscience
Electronics, Physics, Engineering
Mathematics, Computing Science

Our second challenge is to consider the practical applications of digital olfaction, i.e. the way in which we can transfer the recent scientific breakthroughs. We do believe that the interest of such a subject calls for its detailed study insofar as it represents a goldmine with its many applications in the communication, food, medical, and cosmetic industries.

Olfactory digitization plunges us into an interactive experience bearing strong marks of reality, making it possible to “feel” movies, games, music, SMS, emails or any digital media. Such applications make it possible to access a more immersive and exciting environment; our olfactory sense is becoming a key element for the innovative products of various industries. With digital fragrances, a quasi-subliminal new dimension is reached which can transport viewers, players to the very heart of the world of senses.

Our third challenge is to project those applications to everyday life to measure their impact on our lifestyle. We might think that olfactory digitization is similar to digital science-fiction, but such a belief seems to be outdated nowadays. Following the huge advances made by very few leading researchers in this field, we understand that the fledgling applications of olfactoty digitization open the doors to a world of high technology in search of olfactory control. The digitization of olfaction brings about the idea of improved and individualized entertainment and communication; however the potential of digital olfaction can be extended to the development of medical treatments and diagnosis, especially neurological, or to the field of safety for carmakers or the Army. There is no doubt that the digitization of smells, fragrances and aromas will be the technology of tomorrow.

On this website you will find all relevant information about DOS, its committee and its aims. You will also find an update of the solid resources related to olfactory digitization. It is our intention to support and share the best applications arising from this new digital Age.

Whatever your personal or professional interest, DOS is here to help you. The Board is composed of leading experts recognized in their fields of study and who have contributed to the enhancement of knowledge in academic Research and marketing so as to generate a real international network striving to develop a completely new concept.

In DOS you will meet many colleagues who share a commitment and scientific resources to make a significant global contribution to digital smell technologies. The final objective is to carry us into a boundless fragrant world: our future lifestyle!

Change is within reach!

With our very best wishes for this initiative.

Let us dare to look ahead!

Dr Marvin Edeas
Chairman and founder of Digital Olfaction Society

Back to top button